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GREENFIELD — Shemar Taylor knows the feeling of a one-and-done sectional exit too well, and he didn't want any déjà vu as a senior.
Taylor ensured that his Muncie Central boys basketball career would last at least one more game with his performance on Tuesday, March 3, leading the Bearcats with 19 points in a 56-47 victory over Richmond in the first round of Class 4A Sectional 9 at Greenfield-Central.
"I didn't want to go home," Taylor said. "One-and-done, we did that last year. I just don't want to be done. I want to keep playing with my brothers. I just love playing with them. I want to continue practice, didn't want yesterday to be my last practice or today to be my last game."
The North Central Conference rivals were deadlocked throughout the first half. Neither team could piece together a significant run, and the game remained within five points for the entire half. Central's largest runs were the first four points of the game and a 5-0 run in which all five points were scored by Taylor near the end of the second quarter.
The Bearcats took a 26-23 advantage into the locker room at halftime, but the Red Devils' physicality was causing problems.
"They match up with us physically," Muncie Central coach Jeff Holloway said. "They got some tough kind of football kids out there who just go after the ball. They're not the best shooting team, but they get into the paint and get their offensive rebounds, so I think that kind of physicality probably gave us some problems."
Central finally hit its stride offensively in the third quarter. Sophomore guard Carlos Echols Jr. — held scoreless in the first half — got on the board with an and-1 basket that fired up everyone in the gym wearing purple, and the resulting momentum helped the team go on an 11-6 run over the last two minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Central kept building its lead, going up by as many as 14 points. However, the Bearcats knew they couldn't get comfortable. They led Richmond by 15 in the fourth quarter on Jan. 16 and wound up losing, 66-64. In the sectional rematch, the Bearcats focused on ball security and not forcing their offense to hold off the Red Devils for the final eight minutes.
"We were talking about it in the huddle," Bearcats sophomore Jaxson Johnson said. "This time, we're not going to let the same mistakes happen. We're going to hold the ball, we're going to get stops, and that's what we did."
Johnson and Taylor are the Bearcats' go-to scorers, averaging 15 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. But the duo also takes pride in their defensive abilities, and those were on full display in the victory. Johnson recorded five blocks to go with his 14 points, while Taylor tallied five steals.
"Jackson does that all the time. If you look at every game, he wants to go out and guard the best player on the other team," Holloway said. "And Shemar, physically, as quick as he is and athletic, he can be a really good defender. I think the last month or so, he's realized he can do a little bit more for this team, not just score. I thought early on, he was just a scorer, and I though he kind of picked up the defensive load towards the end of the season."
Perhaps more important than any offensive or defensive statistic is the spirit Taylor brings to the Bearcats. According to Holloway, the senior has brought a new level of passion to the team in the last few weeks, leading the way in practice and energizing those around him.
As a former Bearcat player himself, Holloway has reminded his seniors all season how quickly it goes by. Based on his desire to keep the season alive, Taylor has clearly taken that message to heart.
"I've been telling the seniors since August — it goes fast," Holloway said. "Enjoy every moment with your teammates, every practice, because before you know it, it's over. And Shemar's been different the last few weeks, kind of leading us in practice, bringing energy every day, and offensively, he's been making us go. I was really proud of Shemar because there was a couple of times that he could have taken shots — and he would have the first month of the season — and he passed up his shot to make a better decision."
The win marked Holloway's first postseason victory as a head coach since he led Avon to a sectional championship in 2019 and the first of his second tenure with the Bearcats. Holloway highlighted the team's trust in one another as the biggest area of growth in year one that he hopes carries over to next season.
"I thought it took us a little while to kind of come together and trust each other," Holloway said. "I thought early on, when things were going well, it's because we made shots. When we didn't make them, we were kind of down and didn't trust each other to pass up an okay shot for a better shot. I thought the last few games, we were trying to do that, I thought we were trying to guard team defense wise, and I thought we were looking for better shots instead of just my shot.
"I think that's the difference, and it's something we can build on for next year."
Central's victory sets up a sectional semifinal matchup with Class 4A No. 4 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) on Friday, March 6. Led by Mr. Basketball favorite and Purdue commit Luke Ertel, the Marauders are heavy favorites to repeat as sectional champions and have legitimate state championship aspirations.
In order to shock the world with an upset on Friday, the Bearcats are focused on minimizing errors and sticking together.
"Just go out there and play our best game," Taylor said. "Play team ball, just play together. Everybody be together on defense and offense. Just play as one and we can get it done on Friday."
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Central boys basketball beats Richmond IHSAA sectional opener